Necktie and collar clasp



July 1945. J. H. LONGENECKER I 2,379,533

NECKTIE AND COLLAR CLASP Filed -0ct. 3, 1944 IN VEN TOR.

Patented July 3, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFics 1 NECKTI-E AND COLLAR cL sP Jay Hershey Longenecker, Richmond va. Application October 3, 1944, Ser-ial No. 556,946

eciaims.

My invention relates to necktie and collar claps; and particularly to clasps to :be used with iour-in'hand, bow, and similar ties. These forms of tie are usually made with a strap or long narrow part which is passed around the neck under the collar, and which engages the bow of the tie to hold it in place. A certain degree of tautness must be put upon the strap; forif thestrap is loose the bow will fall from its proper place,-and give an untidy look to the dress. Atight strap makes the collar bind about the neck, and is a cause of great discomfort to the wearer; particularly in hot climates, where, unfortunately for them, men in certain professions and businesses are expected to wear the formal shirt and, tie. My object is .to provide a four-ih-hand tie or :a .*bow tie which may be held in place by means of a collar clasp, and without the use of any strap around the neck. Another object is to provide a collar clasp which may be attached to the tie,

and which may be opened by the wearer at its theywings 2 of the collar.

.wings of a collar.

. shows analternate cross-section 32. and Figure 10 shows still another alternate cross-section 3 2' In Figure l, the numerals 2, 2 indicate the two The numerall indicates the bow of aiour-in-hand tie; B isthe flowing part of the tie; and 8,18 are: twoutabsiattachedto the how 4 of the tie tohelp to hold it in place under In Figure 2 we see the rear ly seen.

endsso that the wing of the collar may be easily 2 passed between the two bars of the-clasp, which bars maythen be closed upon the collar wing to hold'it firmly in place. In well :known forms of collar clasps the wing of the collar is pushed between the bars of the clasp. But where it is easy .for a collar to be pushed between the bars, it is equally, (easy for the collar to sli-p'cut of their grip. When the spring in enough to hold the collar, it is a difficult matter to'zslip the collar between them, and it .is often defaced in the process. A particular object of my invention is to provide a clasp which shall firmly hold the wings of the collar; which may be easily-opened :to introduce the 'saidwings; which the bars is made strong may :be held open for the, adjustment of the col largandwhich maythen be closed. l r

:In the drawing, which forms a part of this specification: Figure 1 is :a partial front view .ofa collar, with tie and clasp in place; Figure 2 is a rear view of the tie with clasp attachedto it; Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the keyed clasp inplan and partly in section, taken on line a-:b

in Fliguiie 4, with one side open and the other- :side closed; Figure 4 is an enlarged rear view of the keyed clasp in elevation; Figure *5 :is :a modii IntFigure center; is the spring-bar suitable means, such as the rivet 24.

3: the front bar 1210f the clasp may be ornamental in design. In it .two rarced cups H and 1.6 are formed. The ends 18 and 20 of the bar 12 are shown with scrolls for ornamental purposes; Attached to bar 12-, and adjacent its 22; held to bar lz by At 26 and .ZBPad'acent its ends the spring-b r 22 presses strongly against the opposite parts of bar 1.2 to hold thewings of a collar. The spring- 22-is so for-med that when its endsare closed against; the endsof bar l2 there shall remain a spaceqwbetweenbar lZ'and spring-bar .22, and intermediate their ends and centers. The purpose of this space is to freely accommodate the collar wing so that it may take a neat set; and so :that pressure on the wing at this point shall not hold the end grips of the bars Hand :22 apart.- 1

.In Figures'i3 and-5 *the'end 26-of spring-bar 22 is pressing against the end 1810f bar 12. Atthe clasp the end 20 of-bar l2 and pthenendof the i g I the end- 28 of spring-bar 22 are held apart :Eorgthe introduction .orrelease of a collar wing. These bar ends, .210 and 28, are being held apart by the key 34, which has been turned in the-cupllfi; Ihe lceyrmay be turned to-the position ,showni-n Figure 5, when it may be released, and will still-hold the clasp open. v

I Referring to Figures 3 and 5: the keys 32 and v 34 are shown in-place. The keys are cylindrical in form, except at that part which lies between the two bars l2 and 22 of the clasp. Each key is about /8 of an .inch in diameter; hasa :finger plateifi; and-has two collars" and-4.0 to hold it against displacement frombetween the bars J2 and 22. That part of the key which'li es between the bar l2'and spring-bar 22 is, in cross section, in the form of a segment of a circle greater than a semi-circle; this segment having a flattened view of the same tie; and adjacentthe, lower-part of the how 4 base, as at 42 in Figures 3 and 5, and also in'the more greatly enlarged section shown in Figure 8. I prefer this form as it permits the use of a seat of regular outline, as at l4 and IE, to hold the key in place; and as a seat of this regular outline is less expensive than others to form. In Figure 9 I show the key cross-section formed with a slightly curved base; and in Figure 10 I show the key with a still more curved base, so that the crosssection approaches that of an ellipse. I do not confine myself to any one of these particular cross-sections; for any one of them will operate to separate the two bars of the clasp when it, the

key, is turned through a considerable angle in its seat; the essential feature of the cross-section used being that one dimension passing through its center shall be shorter than another intersecting it. To express this essential feature briefly, and I having explained the form and the function of the key, I shall hereinafter refer to its cross section as cam-shaped, which it approximates in eitherof the forms shown, and in the sense that the length of the axis in one direction is greater than the length of the axis intersecting the first axis. In other words: extreme dimensions in all directions through the'center of rotation are not equal.

In Figure 3 the fiat side 42 of the key 32 lies against the spring-bar 22 the end 26 of which is pressing'against end portion IQ of bar l2; while key 34 had been turned sufiiciently to force end portion 28 of the spring-bar 22 away from end portion of the bar l2. These ends of either bar may be roughened or ribbed, as indicated at 21. But this is not necessary when spring-bar 22 has strength; shirt-collar fabrics.

When the wearer puts on his tie, he places its bow 4 and tabs 8, 8 under the wings of this collar; and withfmger and thumb of one hand opens one end of the clasp by turning the key associated with that end. He then adjusts one wing of his collar in the open end of the clasp; turns the key again to close the clasp again upon the said wing. Then he opens the other end of the clasp by turning the key on that side of the center of the clasp; insertsthe other wing of the collar; then turns the key to close the ends of the clasp upon this wing. Further adjustment is easily made by holding either key in the fingers of one hand; then adjusting the wing of the collar by the fingers of the other hand. The keys 32 and lie behind the flowing part of the tie.

In Figure 6 the clasp is made as in Figures 3 and 5; but the key is removable from the bar, as

shown in Figure 7. This key 41 (shown at about twice its real size) may be made for attachment to a keyring by the ring 48. The cylindrical end is flattened 'at 49; The end of the key is tapered to make it easy to insert it into the cup of. the clasp; for it must be remembered than when in use it is under the tie. The lower collar is retained, to act as a stop against the lower edge 50 of the'clasp l0.

The difference between the clasp shown in Figures 3 and 5 and the clasp shown in Figure 6 is that with the latter the key is separate, and with the former the key is held in place in the clasp by the collar 38.

I claim:

1. In combination with a necktie: means for supporting the tie upon the wings of a collar; the

nor is it desirable with some said means comprising a front bar secured to the back of the tie; a, spring-bar secured centrally to the back of the front bar, its end portions sprung against the front bar, and each end portion adapted to grip a collar wing against the said front bar; and key means having a cam-shaped cross-section located between the front bar and the springbar adjacent the center thereof, and adapted when turned to spring the ends of the spring-bar away from the front bar to allow a collar wing to pass between them.

2. In combination with a necktie: means for supporting the tie upon the wings of a collar; the said means comprising a front bar secured to the back of the tie; a spring bar secured centrally to the back of the front bar, its end portions sprung against the front bar, and each end portion adapted to grip a collar wing against the said front bar; the said front bar and spring-bar being spaced apart between the gripping ends of the spring-bar and the center of the bar to encompass the fabric of the wing; and key means of cam-shaped cross-section located between the front bar and the spring-bar adjacent the center thereof, and adapted when turned to spring the ends of the spring-bar away from the front bar to allow the passage of fabric of a collar wing.

3. A collar clasp comprising a front bar; a rear bar of spring material, centrally secured to the front bar, and having its ends sprung against the front bar; and a key seat formed between the two bars on each side of the center thereof; in combination with a key of cam-shaped cross-section adapted to be inserted in a key seat and turned to press the end of the spring-bar away from the associated end of the front bar.

4. In combination with a necktie: means for supporting the tie upon the wings of a collar, the said means comprising a front bar secured to the back of the necktie; a spring-bar secured centrally to the back of the front bar and adapted to press adjacent each end against the adjacent end of the front bar; a key of cam-shaped cross-section mounted between the front bar and the spring-bar on each side of their common center, and adapted when turned to press against the two bars to open their gripping ends to pass the wing of a. collar, and adapted when turned back to its first position to release the gripping ends of the bars to seize the said wing of the collar.

5. A collar clasp comprising a front bar; a rear bar of spring material; the said bars being centrally secured together, and the rear bar adjacent its ends being sprung against the opposite parts of the front bar; key seats formed between the two bars one on each side of the center of their length; and a. key of cam-shaped cross-section seated in each key seat and adapted when turned to press the gripping parts of the two bars adjacent their ends apart. I

6. A collarclasp comprising a front bar; a rear bar of spring material; the said bars being centrally secured together; and the end portions/of the rear bar sprung against the adjacent end portions of the front-bar; a key seat formed in one of the two bars on each side of the center of its length; and a key of cam-shaped cross-section seated in the key seat and adapted to be turned therein.

JAY HERSHEY LONGENECKER. 

